NON-INVASIVE VENTILATION BRONCHOSCOPY SCOPE GUIDE AND METHOD

摘要

A bronchoscopy scope guide (30) for a non-invasive ventilation (NIV) patient interface (10) comprises a semi-rigid scope guide tube (32), a bronchoscopy scope seal (48), and a semi-rigid grommet (34). The semi-rigid scope guide tube (32) includes a principal axis (36) and entrance and exit guide portions (38,40). The bronchoscopy scope seal (48) couples to the scope guide tube for sealing around a bronchoscopy scope when inserted through the scope guide tube. The semi-rigid grommet (34) is disposed about an outer circumference of and flexibly coupled to the scope guide tube (32) and is located in a principal plane (52) transverse to the principal axis of the scope guide tube. The scope guide tube (32) is pivotally manipulate-able about the flexible coupling of the grommet (34) for positioning a distal end (46) of the exit guide portion of the scope guide tube proximate, but not in contact with, one of a nasal cavity or mouth opening of a patient for assisted guidance control of the bronchoscopy scope within an interior region (58) of the patient interface (10) in performance of a bronchoscopy procedure.